The Labor enquirer., 1887-04-30

$I.S'
Shame IN every possih,s fosm and phas'
bad bssn part OF The girls knovlsdgs sino.
babyhood, but II had slippsd away from
hsr, y fcal garment might ian from I
fair statue over which Il had chancsd b
Be- thrown. Il Was not Tie Innocence oi
ignorance, "a poor posssssioa At bsst II
vas IN ingrained repulsion, born heaven
mo~s hov, and growing - mystsriossly
With her growth, IN invisible yet. most po-
tsnt armor, recognized BY every dvefer in
the warming tenement. She had her
fathers quick tongue and laughing eyes,
but they could dash a. vel, aud the few
Who tried coarse Jest shrunk back from
both look and scorohing word.
Thus far all went ven with the poor
little fortunes. She worked always ton
and twelve sometimes fourteen, hours q
day, yet her strength did not fail, and
there was no dearth Of work. It was in
1880. and prices were nearly double the
present rates. To-day work from the
same establishment means not over $3.50
per week, and has even fallen as low as
$3.50. In 1880 the shirts wers given out
BY the dozen as at present, going back to
the factory to pass through the hands of
the 6nisher and button-hole maker, The
machine operator could make nine Of the
best class of shirts in day of ten hours,
being paid for them at the rate of $1.75
per dozen. Four spools of cotton, 200
yards each, were required for dozen, the
price of which must be deducted from the
receipts; but the firm preferred to supply
2,4O0-yard spools, at 30 cents for six-cord
cotton used for the upper thread, and 80
cents for three-cord cotton used as under
thread, the present prices for same quality
and size being respectively 45 and 20
cents. Making nine day, the weeks
wages would be for the four and one-half
dozen $7.S7, or $3.50 deducting thread;
but Rose averaged five dozen weekly, and
for nearly two years counted herself as
certain of not less than $50 per month
and often $35. The machine had been
paid for. The room took on as comf6rta- |
BILE look as its dingy walls and narrow
windows would allow; and Bridget, age
five, had developed distinct genius for
housekeeping, and washed dishes and faces
with equal energy and enthusiasm. She
did all errands also, and could not be |
cheated in the matter of change. She
knew where the largest loaves we're to be
had, and shifted suspiciously at the packets
Of tea.
"By the time she's seven, she'll do all
but the washing" Rose said with pride,
and Bridget reverted to childhood for an
instant, and spun round ON one foot as
she made answer:
''Shure, could now, if you'd only be
lettin' me-"
"There's women on the West Side that1l
earn $3.50 per dozen, for work no better
than you're doing now," some one who had
come from that quarter said to her one
day, but Rose shook her head. There is
= s.rious conservatism among these work
ers, who cling to familiar haunts. and re-
gard unknown regions with suspicion and |
even terror.
+. "Ive no time for change" Rose said, |
ut might not be as certain when I'd got
it. I'll run no risks" and she tugged her |
great bundle of work up the stairs, rejoic-
ing that living so near saved just SO much |
on e1pressage, charge paid by the work |
ers themselves.
There we're signs we'll known to the old
hands of probable reduction of prices,
weeks before the first out came. More
fault was found. A slipped stitch or a
break in the thread was pOunced upon
with even more promptness than had
been their usual portion. Some hands
were discharged, and at last came the gen.
eral cut, resented by some, walled over by
all, but accepted as inevitable. Another,
and another, and another followed. Too
much production; too many Jew firms
competing and undertaking; more and
more foreigners coming in and ready to
take the work at half price. These reasons
and dozen others of the same order were
given glibly, and at first with certain
show of kindliness and attempt to soften
harsh facts as much as possible. But the
patience of diplomacy soon failed, and
questioners of all orders were told that if
they did not like it they had nothing to do
but to leave and allow a crowd of waiting
substitutes to take their places at half
rates. The shirt that had sold for 75 cents
and 81 had gone down to 45 and 60 cents re-
spectively, and as cottons and linens had
fallen in the same proportion, there was
still profit for all but the worker. Here
and there were places on Grand. or Divi-
sion streets where they might even be
bought for 80 and 40 cents. the price per
dozen to the worker being at last from 30
to go cents. In the factories it was still
possible to earn some approximation to
the old rate, but employers had found that
it was far cheaper to give out the work;
some choosing to give the entire shirt at
60 much per dozen; Others preferring to
send out what is known as "team work"
flaps being done by one, bosoms by an
other, and so on.